(July 14, 2016) Fire departments from Pocomoke City, Stockton, Girdletree, Princess Anne, Marion and Fairmont responded to, while departments from New Church and Greenbackville in Accomack County, Virginia remained on standby as pine shavings at Eastern Shore Forest Products ignited, and were extinguished about two-and-a-half hours later last Sunday.
Pocomoke City Volunteer Fire Company was the first to respond to the facility on St. Luke’s Road near Fruitland.
No injuries were reported, but according to Pocomoke City EMS Director Mike Thorton, one firefighter was treated on the scene for heat exhaustion, but didn’t require further attention.
“The building was not involved in the fire,” Pocomoke Fire Chief Dick Gladding said. “It’s very hard to tell where the origin was, but it was most likely the machinery that loads the bags. Nothing suspicious was discovered.”
Between 40 and 50 firefighters were on site, Gladding said.
Eastern Shore Forest Products Manager Shannon Dykes also said the machinery caused the blaze.
“It turned out to be minor damage,” he said. “We’re back up and operating.”
The machinery was loading bags of pine shavings customarily used for animal or livestock bedding.
In all, Dykes estimated 30 pallets worth of shavings were lost in the fire. A single pallet holds 59 bags weighing about 25 pounds each, Dykes said, for a total of about 44,250 pounds of shavings.
No estimates for the amount of product damaged by water or foam were available.
The fire department deployed a large amount of foam to help contain the fire, which is more readily absorbed by the dry shavings, increasing the effectiveness of firefighting procedures, Gladding said.
Pocomoke City Volunteer Fire Company was the first to respond to the facility on St. Luke’s Road near Fruitland.
No injuries were reported, but according to Pocomoke City EMS Director Mike Thorton, one firefighter was treated on the scene for heat exhaustion, but didn’t require further attention.
“The building was not involved in the fire,” Pocomoke Fire Chief Dick Gladding said. “It’s very hard to tell where the origin was, but it was most likely the machinery that loads the bags. Nothing suspicious was discovered.”
Between 40 and 50 firefighters were on site, Gladding said.
Eastern Shore Forest Products Manager Shannon Dykes also said the machinery caused the blaze.
“It turned out to be minor damage,” he said. “We’re back up and operating.”
The machinery was loading bags of pine shavings customarily used for animal or livestock bedding.
In all, Dykes estimated 30 pallets worth of shavings were lost in the fire. A single pallet holds 59 bags weighing about 25 pounds each, Dykes said, for a total of about 44,250 pounds of shavings.
No estimates for the amount of product damaged by water or foam were available.
The fire department deployed a large amount of foam to help contain the fire, which is more readily absorbed by the dry shavings, increasing the effectiveness of firefighting procedures, Gladding said.